Family What is a family A group of

Family

What is a family? A group of people related by blood, marriage or adoption

What are nuclear, extended, lone, same sex, reconstituted and empty nest families? A nuclear family A two-generation family containing married or cohabiting parents and their children or child who live together An extended family An extension of the nuclear family. Three generations live together or nearby e. g. children, parents and parents of the parents A reconstituted family An empty nest family When divorced men/women remarry & form a new family with their children When children have grown up and left home, the parents continue to live together in the family home A lone parent family Same sex families A beanpole family A family in which one parent lives with their child or children A family in which a homosexual couple (married or cohabiting) live together with their child or children Families which have few horizontal extensions (e. g. very few or no aunts/uncles/cousins etc) but a tall vertical structure e. g. great grandparents, children

Why is there a greater diversity of families in Britain today? The divorce rate has increased The marriage rate is going down There is now less stigma attached to homosexuality Families are having fewer children

Is the nuclear family typical of families in modern Britain? Some sociologists argue that the nuclear family is still the most “typical” or common family type. Other sociologists disagree. Reasons to show the nuclear family is the most “typical” Reasons to show the nuclear family is not the most “typical” Lots of products are designed for the nuclear family e. g. family tickets are for two parents and two children More divorce means that there are more single parent and reconstituted families Products are specifically designed for the Changes in attitudes and laws means that nuclear family e. g. cars have two adult it is now acceptable to be in a same-sex seats in the front and seats for children in couple the back

What are functionalist views on the family? Functionalists view the nuclear family as positive and an important part of society. The nuclear family performs useful functions for individuals and for society such as: • Reproduction • Primary socialisation • Emotional support • Economic support

What are New Right views on the family? The New Right see the traditional nuclear family with the mum and dad sticking to traditional roles as the best for society. The New Right are against other family types New Right sociologists argue that if children are not raised in a nuclear family then they will not get the right socialisation and will end up becoming a criminal The New Right dislike the fact that the family is ‘falling apart’ in modern society.

What do sociologists mean by the dark side of the family? • Many sociologists have highlighted that all is not well within the family since there is a well documented and well published set of statistics that would seem to indicate that domestic violence is on the increase. • Domestic violence is all about power and control in the family. It is not just physical abuse it is also mental, psychological, emotional and also the implied threat of violence.

Why do feminists believe the nuclear family is unfair on women? A feminist is: Someone who believes that women should have the same status and opportunities as men. Feminists try to make women equal to men. Feminists say that women have to carry out: The dual burden The triple shift Also, girls in the family are socialised into the housewife role from a young age e. g. given cooking sets and dolls to play with (canalisation)

What is the division of labour? The division of task such as housework, childcare and DIY. Some sociologists say the division of labour is fair and others disagree. Below are the reasons why: Division of labour is equal Division of labour is not equal The ‘NEW MAN’ There has been an increase in the ‘new man’. This is a type of man who is willing to take on any role in or outside of the home and does not believe in following traditional roles whereby he should not have to do housework, cooking etc Triple shift Most women have 3 main roles: Housework Full time work Emotion work They are mostly responsible for making sure everyone is happy/ resolving arguments/ holding relationships together Money management Rather than one partner having control of family finances there is much more evidence that money is now equally distributed between husband wife because they both work and money is put into a joint account Dual Burden Women are more involved in full time work but are still expected to be in charge of the housework. Men do not take an ‘equal’ share in the housework but help when it is convenient. Decision making Men and women are now more likely to have a discussion before a big family decision is made and come to an agreement rather than the man having the final say. Invisible work Women are shown to think about family issues more than men. Deciding what to make for dinner/ shopping lists/ remembering birthdays/

What are conjugal roles? The domestic roles of married or cohabiting partners.

What is the symmetrical family? • A family in which partners carry out tasks equally. They may carry out tasks separately or together but contribution is always split 50/50. Evidence to show that the family is symmetrical comes from: Money management Rather than one partner having control of family finances there is much more evidence that money is now equally distributed between husband wife because they both work and money is put into a joint account The ‘NEW MAN’ There has been an increase in the ‘new man’. This is a type of man who is willing to take on any role in or outside of the home and does not believe in following traditional roles whereby he should not have to do housework, cooking etc Decision making Men and women are now more likely to have a discussion before a big family decision is made and come to an agreement rather than the man having the final say.

Does the New Man exist? Some sociologists argue that the New Man exists. There has been an increase in the ‘new man’. This is a type of man who is willing to take on any role in or outside of the home and does not believe in following traditional roles whereby he should not have to do housework, cooking etc. Other sociologists such as feminists argue that the new man is a myth and the majority of men stick to traditional roles and do not feel that it is there “role” to take on traditionally female tasks. E. g. most men refuse to cook dinner.

What role do grandparents play in families? • The rise in life expectancy has resulted in an increasing number of families having older members who are no longer in paid employment. Around 20 per cent of the UK population are aged 65 and over. As their children are likely to have married and had children later in life, this often results in an older generation being grandparents of young children. As well as enjoying their own retirement, they regularly provide unpaid childcare and support for parents.

What role do children play in families? Children are now a “focal” part of the family. This means that they are the main concern for parents. Children now have more power in the family and can influence decisions made by parents.

How have children’s role in the family changed in the last 50 years? Some sociologists argue that children’s role in the family has got better in the past 50 years. However, some sociologists disagree with this. Reasons to show that children’s role has improved Reasons to show that children’s role has not improved Relationships are less authoritarian, there is less emphasis on parental authority/discipline and children get an equal say Working class families do not involve their children in decision-making. Relationships are more child-centered- more focus on children’s interests and needs. The average family size is smaller today and so children receive more individual attention from parents. Some children are still forced to help out in a family business or with childcare and housework. Young people are now more financially dependent on their family and for a longer time. This means they don’t have to go out and work at a young age. Some children are victims of domestic abuse. The amount of calls to child line is constantly increasing.

Why have men and women’s roles in the family changed in the last 50 years? In the last 50 years it is believed that families have become more symmetrical. This happened because: • Feminism encourages women to fight back against patriarchal ideas e. g. women are now less likely to accept that they should do all the housework • More effective forms of contraception mean that women are having fewer children which gives them a better chance at going out and getting a job • Women having jobs means they have financial independence and don’t rely on their husbands wage

How has life expectancy changed? Life expectancy is the average number of years a newborn baby is expected to live. Life expectancy has gone up. In the 1950 s life expectancy was 70. Life expectancy today is 80.

How have patterns of fertility changed? Less children are being born Women are choosing to have children later in their life. E. g. 50 years ago it was common for women to have children in their early 20 s. Today it is more common for women to have children in their 30 s.

What impact will an ageing population have on the country? An ageing population means that the average of citizens is increasing. Society has a smaller proportion of young people and an increasing proportion of older people. The impact of this is: • An increase in one-person households • More healthcare will need to be available • Taxes will increase to fund pensions

Why has marriage declined? Marriage has declined because: • Women are now more focussed on careers and less focussed on finding a partner • Changing attitudes mean that there is no stigma attached to not being married • The increasing divorce rate means that people are afraid to get married as it may just end in divorce

Why has cohabitation increased? Cohabitation has increased because: • People are fearful that if they marry it may end in divorce- this can be very expensive • Changing social attitudes means that there is no longer a stigma attached to cohabitation

Why have births outside of marriage increased? Births outside of marriage have increased because: • There is no longer a stigma attached to having a child outside of marriage • The increased availability of welfare benefits means that women can have children and not have to worry about having a husband to provide financial support

What are the effects of divorce? The main effects of divorce are: • More single parent families • The increase in single parent families may mean that the government has to provide more welfare support for single parents • An increase in reconstituted families

What are the arguments in favour of lone parent families? Arguments in favour of lone parent families: • Better for children to be raised in an environment where there is no conflict • Feminists argue that women who raise a child as a single parent escape patriarchy

What are the arguments against lone parent families? Arguments against lone parent families: • The New Right argue that lone parents cannot adequately socialise their children properly. Single mothers are not capable of disciplining their sons. • The New Right also argue that single parents are a drain on the welfare state as they rely on the benefits to survive.

What debates are there around the quality of parenting as a social issue? Some sociologists argue that the quality of parenting in the UK is not good enough, for example • An increase in childhood obesity shows that children are not looked after nutritionally • Children are not receiving adequate help from their parents with school work • Parents are not socialising their children with the skills they need e. g. how to use correct language

What debates are there around the care of the disabled and elderly as a social issue? Social and medical advances mean that the quality of later life is improving. Most people are able to maintain reasonably healthy and independent lives into their 70 s and 80 s. This is because of medical advancements and an increase in the amount of social services that are available to support both the elderly and disabled. However, some sociologists argue that older people from a working class background are likely to suffer more in old age. This is often because they are suffering the consequences of having more physically gruelling jobs at a young age and not having a pension fund which allows them to have a decent standard of living.

What debates are there around the relationship between teenagers and adults as a social issue? • Some sociologists identify teenagers as a problem for society. • There is an increasing number of “teenage” families who are seen as incapable of socialising children properly. • In most cases these teenagers leave education without qualifications and the cycle of poverty begins for the children who are materially deprived in education.

Can you give 3 recent examples from the news that relate to anything above? You have to read/watch the news to be able to do this